Minsters want Mayor Boris Johnson to speed up house building in London to tackle the homes shortage and inject fresh momentum into the flatlining UK economy.

Housing minister Mark Prisk and business minister Michael Fallon, who also raised “serious concerns” over the progress of infrastructure projects, wrote to City Hall pressing for more action on spending £111 million under the Government’s Growing Places Fund.

However, senior City Hall officials warned against a “panicky response” which could waste millions of pounds. The clash emerged in correspondence between the ministers and the co-chairmen of the London Enterprise Panel, deputy mayor Kit Malthouse, Mr Johnson’s economic supremo, and Harvey McGrath.

In their letter, the ministers called for a more detailed growth plan by April, saying: “It is important... the panel starts to have an impact on growth through the allocation of Growing Places Fund and by publication of a clear set of priorities and action which will support these.” But the panel co-chairmen accused the ministers of trying to rush economic projects.

“We are sure you will accept that it is not a good Conservative habit to water cannon money at ill-defined targets without proper control,” they wrote.

“Cries of haste from Whitehall ministries could be misread as a panicky response to a more general perception that the Coalition’s macro-economic policy is failing to deliver growth.” The panel is focusing on supporting small and medium-size firms, transport schemes and science and technology projects.

A spokesman for Mr Johnson said: “As well as lobbying the Government for the capital’s fair share of stamp duty revenues to reinvest in housing, [the Mayor] is on track to deliver 100,000 affordable homes during his time at City Hall.”